A survey published in JAMA Open Network indicated that many non-Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and nearly all VA hospitals are not mandating influenza vaccinations for all healthcare personnel (HCP).
The survey consisted of a questionnaire administered via mail between 2013 and 2017 to a nationally representative sample of all VA and non-VA hospitals in the United States. Overall response rates to the survey in 2013 were 69.3% (non-VA, 70.6%; VA, 63.5%), and in 2017 this dropped to 59.1% (non-VA, 59.1%; VA, 58.9%). Mandatory vaccination requirements increased from 37.1% to 61.4% from 2013 to 2017 (difference, 24.3%; 95% CI, 18.4%-30.2%; P < .001).
This change appeared to be driven by non-VA hospitals for which requirements went from 44.3% to 69.4% during the study years (difference, 25.1%; 95%CI, 18.8%-31.4%; P < .001). There was no significant change in the proportion of VA hospitals requiring vaccination during this period (1.3% in 2013 to 4.1% in 2017 [difference, 2.8%; 95% CI, ?2.4% to 8.0%; P = .29]).
